Suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has held a private meeting with President Bola Tinubu in London—their first face-to-face encounter since the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025.
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According to sources quoted by PUNCH and The Africa Report, the meeting was initiated at the request of Governor Fubara, who has been out of office following a presidential proclamation citing “months of intense political instability” and a “paralysis of governance” in the oil-rich state.
A senior aide to the president confirmed the meeting, saying Fubara had pledged to make “certain concessions” to ease the political tension that has gripped the state. “Negotiations are ongoing, but from all indications, his suspension will be lifted before the six-month deadline,” the adviser said.
Another presidential aide hinted at the possibility of Fubara defecting from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that could strengthen Tinubu’s grip on Rivers State ahead of the 2027 elections.
“If Fubara joins the APC, it means the president’s chances of winning Rivers State are much higher,” the aide told The Africa Report.
While no official statement was released about the outcome of the meeting, insiders said it focused on restoring functional governance in the state and addressing the causes of the prolonged standoff between Fubara and his estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Wike, notably, was not present at the London meeting. Sources close to the presidency suggest he is increasingly uneasy about a reconciliation process that excludes him.
The crisis in Rivers State erupted in late 2023, when Fubara ordered the demolition of the state’s House of Assembly complex, deepening a political feud with Wike and triggering a wave of defections. In December, 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike crossed over to the APC, prompting legal wrangling over their legitimacy. The Supreme Court ruled in February 2025 that the defected lawmakers remained valid members, and it condemned Fubara’s actions as unconstitutional and autocratic.
The governance stalemate worsened as the state Assembly and executive clashed repeatedly. As of March 2025, Rivers State had yet to pass its annual Appropriation Bill.
Compounding the chaos were back-to-back pipeline explosions in Bodo and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni LGAs. The Federal Government blamed the attacks on militants allegedly aligned with Fubara, citing them in its decision to invoke Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution and impose emergency rule.
President Tinubu, who has been abroad since April 2, reportedly agreed to meet Fubara during an 18-day European retreat to defuse the crisis. Former Navy Chief, Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, currently serves as sole administrator of Rivers State under the emergency arrangement.
Presidency sources say Tinubu is planning a broader meeting with Fubara, Wike, and the state’s lawmakers in the coming weeks to chart a lasting solution.
Meanwhile, governors from seven PDP-controlled states have filed a suit at the Supreme Court challenging the emergency declaration and calling for a return to democratic rule.
With negotiations in motion and talks of compromise underway, Fubara’s return to office before September is increasingly likely—though political dynamics in Rivers remain volatile.
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